It has been a warm fall, but October has arrived. We have had frosts. Thursday night was the coldest yet this season — just 23 degrees Farenheit.

Tender summer crops — such as zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers — are on the wane. The farmstand by my house still has some, but these will be the last for this season.

Sure, you can buy these veggies shipped in from California at your supermarket all year long. But they lack the flavor and variety of those you find locally at the farmers’ market and farmstands.

Soft, juicy, tart and sweet, nothing compares to the taste of a tomato eaten straight off the vine, fragrant and warm from the heat of the late afternoon sun. I look forward expectantly to the first garden tomatoes each summer … and I sadly say goodbye in autumn. When the season ends, I forego buying tomatoes at the supermarket — because they don’t even come close in flavor.

Quick summer harvest skillet (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

Renowned vegetarian cookbook author Mollie Katzen writes: “Vine-ripened tomatoes in season should be tampered with as little as possible. After all, who are we mortals to think we can improve upon perfection itself? I like to use them fresh only when in season, and prefer to use a good brand of canned tomatoes off-season.”

Like Mollie, I do not buy “fresh” tomatoes during the winter at all. To me, they lack the flavor I love and expect from a garden tomato. After traveling from the West Coast in refrigerated trucks, they lose their delicious flavor and are simply not worth eating. Goodbye tomatoes — addio pomodoro.

I continue to buy peppers, eggplant and zucchini through the winter, but I miss the variety of shapes, colors and flavors found during the summer season.

–

Pasta with Tomatoes, Yellow Squash and Arugula

–

This colorful, flavorful dish comes from Italy’s Puglia region.

Ingredients:

A pound of tomatoes, or about 2 cups, diced

1 or 2 cups sliced yellow zucchini (2 small squash)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black

pepper

1 or 2 cloves garlic (depending on size)

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 lb. pasta, preferably fresh

Salt for boiling water

1/2 lb. arugula greens

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Dice the tomatoes. Slice zucchini. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Crush garlic into the bowl. Mince basil (I like to use a micro-plane) and add. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine.

Spread out on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Or cook in a skillet, coated with oil, stirring so they don’t burn.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al-dente. I like to use penne or ziti for this.

Wash and chop the arugula coarsely. Set aside.

Crumble the cheese. Set aside.

Drain pasta. Add arugula to hot pasta to wilt slightly. Sprinkle on the cheese and stir in the tomato mixture. Serves 4.

–

Cucumber Tomato Salad

–

This salad is popular in Poland. Mom loved it and it was a staple in our home during the summer.

Ingredients:

1 large tomato

1 cucumber

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chives, scallions or sweet onion

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I use sheep yogurt from Blue Pepper Farm)

A tablespoon or two of crumbled feta cheese, optional

Directions:

Dice tomato into your salad bowl. Peel (if needed, depending on type) and slice cucumber thin. Add. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir.

Slice chives or scallions, and stir in. Fold in the yogurt.

Garnish with crumbled feta, if using.

Serves 2.

——

Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite @yvonawrites.